Fleeting Sign
by Jeva
Summary: [Akito One Shot] "At that moment, he wanted one of them to fly to him. He'd show the bird that would dare sit on his hand that he was happy-that he was free-that they were happy."


_Author's Notes:_ --flinches-- So uninspired with multi-chaptered stories...I promise I'll get to 'em, but I'm better at writing for those when I'm at school for some reason O.o' Kind of weird really... Anyway, this is from Akito's POV. --shrugs before wincing-- Stupid "I Love the 90s". Now I have Salt&Peppa's "Push It" stuck in my head O.o' ...whatever...get to reading! (translation for Japanese words at the bottom)  
  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own 'em. I seriusly do not want to own Akito and am creeped out enough as it is because I can actually empathize with him O.o'

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Fleeting Sign**

  
  
The sound of birds cheerfully chirping and flying free sickened him at times. At that moment, he wanted one of them to fly to him. He'd show the bird that would dare sit on his hand that he was happy--that he was free--that **they** were happy. None came, however, and he had to endure their cheerful banter in the sakura. One, however, was silently watching him as the ondori should watch a creature such as he.  
  
He smiled darkly into his sleeves, his head resting on his arms on the window sill. The ondori was quite the faithful one, but he trusted no one as much as **that** one. None of them he trusted as much as he did **that** one.  
  
"...Kureno," he said serenely as if the singing from outside wasn't driving him mad. The ondori's gaze was on him, he knew. "We are a happy family, wouldn't you say? Healthy... wealthy... and even our curse isn't nearly as bad as one would think... so why do they try to leave me?"  
  
As he stared out at the sakura being blown by a gently wind, his mind took him back to the time when his other faithful one had betrayed him. So he had shown that girl her role in the ryuu's life. She had brought pain to him, had cost him the sight in his left eye.  
  
Kureno remained silent. He rarely ever spoke, possibly from the uncertainty of whether or not the question was meant to be answered or not. His ondori didn't sing like the other birds. It made him very upset.  
  
No, he wouldn't release his wrath upon his ondori. Others deserved that fate.  
  
Two more pairs were uncovered. The baka ushi and uma onna--and the little tora and her ever-galant hitsuji... It didn't stop there, however. Another one came into their lives and drew each of them in effortlessly. Especially his sweet nezumi and that creature--that bakemono--that **neko**.  
  
The one he trusted knew this girl--who he accurately described as nothing more than a small, plain onigiri--would affect the rest of them this way. He assured him that this was to his advantage. As the ryuu had protected that other girl, they would protect the plain ball of rice. They would all fall into line if he hinted that harm would befall her.  
  
The faithful one had been proven right. Even during that summer at the beach, the bakemono had crumbled and succumbed to his will. He had taken great pleasure hearing the neko's words...  
  
**_"I... don't love her... I WILL NEVER ALLOW MYSELF TO LOVE!"_**  
  
He knew of the blood on that creature's hands and knew the neko was not lying when he had spoken those last words.  
  
His nezumi... his beautiful Yuki who had left him when the ushi requested that he live with the inu. Besides that, the nezumi had never gone against him. The faithful one even claimed that though he was close to the simple-minded onigiri, it was nothing more than friendship and surely nothing so simple could tear him away.  
  
A bird landed on the sill. It was a plain-looking one that resembled the quaint girl so much that he pounced at it only to have it escape him and fly over his head, singing a note before flying into the room, around the still ondori, and back out. A scowl covered his features as a gray bird and a reddish bird flew beside the brown one, coming back to the sill before flittering away, leaving him.  
  
He spun to Kureno, furious. "Call them back!" he commanded. "Bring them back to me!"  
  
The ondori watched him calmly before quietly saying, "You know I can't command them. If they come back, they come back on their own."  
  
He glared at those words before anxiously turning back to look outside, waiting for the birds' return.  
  
He had no reason to worry. The girl's hold on the jyuunishi wasn't strong enough to tear them away. He didn't even have to worry about the neko--his days of the outside world were passing him by and yet he would never win their bet. The neko could never beat the nezumi, after all... it was how they were made.  
  
Vainly, he waited for the birds to return to him, but only the others kept him company, especially the dark-plumed one that had built a nest near by. Only that bird and his ondori remained with him until the ryuu came to check on him.  
  
Those birds... he never saw a glimse of them after that, and it worried him greatly. A sign? Would they leave him as he feared? Just as those birds did, flying out of his reach...  
  
He leaned against the doctor, looking up into his stoic features, his bangs covering his damaged eye just as he had requested. He didn't like anything that reminded him of that girl. The one that had hurt his ryuu. Still, he brought a hand to that cheek, waiting to see if there would be a reaction.  
  
There was none.  
  
He smiled. "Hatori... do you love me?"  
  
He always asked the oldest two this. For some, it was difficult at times to believe the inu was older than the hebi, but he always knew. The inu's words and soothing manner was a give-away of his true intelligence and cunning. He couldn't decide if they were traits he loved or hated.  
  
Just as the inu would, the ryuu answered, "Of course, Akito. You know I do."  
  
He slowly wrapped his arm around Hatori's shoulder, lowering his other hand from his face to place it to the man's chest. He closed his eyes, savoring in the feeling of closeness. "I know you do," he agreed quietly, "but I don't know if **they** do."  
  
There was a pause--barely a second, but it was enough.  
  
He violently shoved away from the ryuu and shouted, pointing to the startled man, "**I will not lose to that girl**! **That simple-minded girl**!"  
  
"Akito--"  
  
"I WILL NOT HAVE HER STEAL THEM AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
And yet...  
  
**_"You know I can't command them. If they come back, they come back on their own."_**  
  
...those birds had left him. Alone. They had left him with the dark bird and his ondori--and still, the dark bird had returned to its nest shortly after.  
  
_Those birds... their wings will be clipped and they will learn not to fly away..._  


  
  
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Author's Notes:_ Let's just say that this was a surprise for me. O.o' It turned out so well, too...I'm kind of scared. --bites thumb nail-- Yeah...hope you enjoyed it! Here's the translations:  
  
**Jyuunishi** = Zodiac  
**Nezumi** = rat/mouse  
**Ushi** = ox  
**Tora** = tiger  
**Ryuu** = dragon  
**Hebi** = snake  
**Uma** = horse  
**Hitsuji** = sheep  
**Ondori** = rooster  
**Inu** = dog  
**Neko** = cat  
**Onigiri** = riceball  
**Baka** = stupid  
**Onna** = woman  
**Bakemono** = monster  
**Sakura** = cherry blossums  



End file.
